Antec Three Hundred: Compact, Inexpensive and Cool

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We all wish we had enough money to build a killer gaming rig. But most of us don’t have the money, or if we do, the thought of building and maintaining an $8,000+ system just for games doesn’t appeal to our more thrifty instincts.

In fact, you can build a pretty high powered gaming rig for under $2,000, or even under $1,500. But where people often cut things a little too close to the bone is the PC case. Buying a budget case is appealing: It often comes with a power supply, and the whole affair can cost well under $75.

However, when you really load up the case, the warts start to appear. You can’t drop in a full sized card. The power supply can’t deliver the current load you need for overclocking. The airflow isn’t robust enough to keep things cool if you do overclock.

In the end, you really want a case that’s not expensive, but you also will want to pick your power supply. Last month, we reviewed the NZXT Tempest, a $99 case with good airflow and no PSU. However, some readers noted that even $99 seems a little high for a case with no PSU.

So along comes Antec, with its Three Hundred. The Three Hundred is the baby brother to the Nine Hundred and Twelve Hundred enthusiast cases. It’s also much lower cost—you can find the Three Hundred for under $60—even under $50 some places (not counting shipping, of course.)

Can a sixty buck case fulfill the expectations of serious gamers on a budget? Let’s take a look. Continued…